Discussion Topics for Today's Classroom

Posts Categorized: Robotics

Ford has said it will mass-produce a fully autonomous self-driving car without a steering wheel by 2021. Ford said it would double its investment in its research center in Palo Alto, California, as well as making sizable investments in technology companies in the autonomy industry. The firm said the car would be in use by… Read more »

WWhile on first glance the five new robots at “Taste and Aroma” seem super-futuristic, it turns out they can only move along fixed paths and are unable to respond to requests from customers. Frankly, we expect more from our interns — who on their first day in the office can be programmed to fetch tea… Read more »

Atlas, the humanoid robot created by Alphabet (GOOGL, Tech30) company Boston Dynamics, can open doors, balance while walking through the snow, place objects on a shelf and pick itself up after being knocked down. Atlas uses sensors embedded in its body and legs to keep its balance. Lasers in its head help Atlas sense and… Read more »

A Defense agency is working on a surveillance robotic hawk that could fly through an urban combat jungle at 45mph The study is looking at developing new algorithms to allow a small UAV to operate without a remote pilot. Source: CNN Tech Date: January 31, 2015 Link (to paste into browser): http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/14/tech/mci-drone-robohawk-robofly/index.html 1) How could… Read more »

Post by The Economist. When will robots do to football what computers did to chess? A look at the RoboCup in Brazil, where robots show their football skills and push the boundaries of artificial intelligence. Source: The Economist Date: December 11th, 2014 Link (to paste into browser): www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152890338439060 Link to article (to paste into browser):… Read more »

Discussion: A diesel powered, solar panel robots can now be used to install and clean solar panels. The cost of solar panels has become to expensive for most businesses. This is due to the rise in installation costs, even though the price of the actual solar panels has dropped. However, by automating the installation you can… Read more »

Discussion: A new robot that you can wear is allowing paraplegics to walk. The Ekso, developed by Ekso Bionics, which first started as a project for the military that allowed soldiers to lift heavy loads and walk further distances, is now enabling people with disabilities to stand upright while also enhancing their strength. The Ekso is made up of… Read more »

Discussion: Gael Langevin, a French sculptor, has designed a robot whose parts can all be printed on a common 3D printer and assembled in one’s home. InMoov, Langevin’s animatronic creation, can be made by anyone with access to little more than a basic 3D printer, a few monitors, a cheap circuit board and about $800. The project… Read more »

The technology is to be trialled on a small number of patients. Discussion: Surgeons at Manchester Royal Infirmary claim to be the first to use a full 3D projection during an operation. The team wore special glasses in order to view the procedure in 3D, while surgeons also used a hand-held robotic arm. The prostate removal… Read more »